Have you ever viewed a geotechnical report?

In a real estate transaction, you just never know what you might need to dig up.  

In working with a buyer client of mine recently, we came upon an issue with the land behind the town home they were going to purchase.  The home was being built on a slope and certain conditions made us uneasy about the foundational stability of this lot.  

If you find yourself in this situation, there is somewhere you can go you find more detailed information on the construction site.  Geotechnical reports are used before a builder will begin the construction process to inform him of the conditions of the land.  If I'm not mistaken, a builder wouldn't be able to build in the first place if the geotech report indicated the land was unfit.  

You can contact the city or the builder to view this report.  If you're in a transaction where you need affirmation that you are going to live on a site that has been reviewed, the geotech report is a good place to go.